According to TechCrunch AI, ElevenLabs provides technology for AI voices used in many customer support calls. The publication also reports that the company is currently valued at 22 billion dollars.
The CEO of ElevenLabs told a journalist that businesses should likely inform customers they are speaking with a machine—at least until such interactions become commonplace for everyone.
The significance of this story lies not only in the company's reported valuation but also in the issue of disclosure: it may be important for customers to understand whether they are communicating with a human or an automated system. However, the source does not reveal details regarding the valuation, the scale of deployment, or the reactions of companies and regulators.
editorial commentary
Why it matters
A likely consequence is increased attention to notifying customers during the automation of phone support. The next observable signal will be public rules from companies or regulators regarding the disclosure of AI voice usage. Significant uncertainty remains due to the single source and lack of details on implementation scale.